The present invention relates to a water oil separator and, more particularly, to a water oil separator of the type for mobile on site use for removing entrained contaminants from a liquid influent.
Concern over the presence of oil and other contaminants in the water table has risen dramatically in recent years. Numerous communities now require the removal of such contaminants before permitting the building of structures or other use of property. Several approaches for removing contaminants from the water table have been developed and find varying degrees of acceptance in actual practice. One approach involves the disposition of mobile on-site water oil separator device for separating oils, greases, and solids entrained in the contaminated aqueous solution drawn up from the contaminated water table.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,333,835 to Lynch discloses a vertical tube coalescer separator of a design which permits transport of the separator to an on-site location. The separator includes a plurality of individual coalescer tubes preferably formed of an oleophilic and hydrophobic material for attracting oil and, simultaneously, repelling water during passage of a water oil mixture through the tubes. As another example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,396,504 to Tannehill discloses a mobile waste oil cleaning apparatus transportable to an on-site location at which a contaminated liquid influent is present.
While mobile separators such as disclosed in the above noted patents may provide satisfactory contaminant removal, the capital cost of such equipment presents a not insignificant burden to those considering cost effective methods of contaminant removal. Thus, the art still seeks improvement in a mobile water oil separator which can efficiently remove oils, greases, solids, and other selected media from a liquid solution in a cost-effective manner.